Unfiltered: Shaping California Wine – Asian Cultural Influences
Join us for a panel discussion, wine tasting and Chinese food pairing by James Yu of Great China with some of the more innovative and active members of our local winemaking community. James will curate custom food pairings with these local winemakers’ wines and explain his pairing process as we enjoy his work.
Wednesday, January 28th, 6:30 – 8pm at Donkey and Goat Winery in Berkeley. Moderated by Matt Wood of The Indie Wine Podcast.
James Yu, pioneering restaurateur and owner of the regaled ‘Great China’ in Berkeley, literally created the new rules to wine pairing with Asian cuisine. Through trial and error and meticulous tasting sessions, Yu sleuthed that white wines pair better with pork belly in dark sauces while traditional Szechuan spices don’t like oak–any oak. Yu has not only built a unique wine list around the food he serves, he’s built that list on a foundation of new wine pairing principles.
Coral Wang is charging in her own way, crafting wines with a background in traditional French training but with a new culinary target in mind. Coral is partnering with Chinese restaurants around the Bay to showcase the elegant and elevating role of her wines on their tables.
Fah Sathirapongsasuti, winemaker at Sunset Cellars and on the board of the Asian Winemakers Association of America, is working to change the perception of consumers and restaurateurs on a broader level while also showcasing the important role that many Asian winemakers already play in shaping our wine culture.
Tiffany Kyong Patton has championed justice in food systems for over a decade and crafts vibrant wines that celebrate the cuisines and peoples of the diaspora. Tiffani channels her love of food—and the people who make it—into action through storytelling, community building, and event design.
Nat Wong is quietly affecting change not only by cultivating rare varietals in his role as a vineyard manager, but by crafting expressive wines from his grapes as well. Nat’s subtle but important influence on our local winemaking community is one of the many underappreciated stories this panel will explore.
Moderator Matt Wood is the producer of the Indie Wine Podcast where he features in depth interviews with small independent California winemakers, farmers, merchants, authors and California wine history. Wood recently collaborated with Coral Wang on the important role of Chinese labor in California viticulture.